1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine having information reading unit for reading information stored in a reading object.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gaming machine (a so-called video game machine), which enables a game to proceed and performs a visual and audial effects (hereinafter simply recited as “effect”) related to the game by using an image displayed on a display, has heretofore drawn a player's attention.
In addition, use of three-dimensional toy figures representing characters from a TV animated cartoon, a home video game, and the like has recently increased in popularity.
In view of such circumstances, a gaming machine has been developed on which a game is played using a card-like recording medium capable of recording information or a figure having a recording medium embedded therein, which attracts a player's attention.
As such a gaming machine, a gaming machine is described in JP-A-2003-340139. The gaming machine is configured as a so-called medal game machine, wherein a medal mounting platform is disposed. A medal with an IC chip formed together with a figure is mounted on the medal mounting platform, thereby performing a data read/write between data stored in the medal and the gaming machine.
The gaming machine operates when the medal embedded with the IC chip formed together with the figure is mounted on the mounting platform.
However, in the gaming machine described in JP-A-2003-340139, the medal embedded with IC chip is used to store parameter values of a character from the game and the interrupted situation of the game. Information stored in the IC chip embedded medal is used only for simply proceeding with the game, which therefore produces only a change such that the character from the game grows stronger even though the data is updated. There is therefore the problem in which the game may become monotonous.
In additions in the gaming machine described in JP-A-2003-340139, the medal embedded with IC chip formed together with the figure is merely mounted on the medal mounting platform. That is, in JP-A-2003-340139, although the medal is formed together with the toy figure, only the IC chip is in efficient use, and there lacks ingenuity to efficiently use a figure portion to increase a player's entertainment.
In the conventional gaming machine such as a slot machine, an image displayed on display is used to thereby proceed with a game and perform a visual and audial effects related to the game, thus increasing player's entertainment. In addition, in such a slot machine, the following game is performed. That is, a plurality of reels are rotated for a predetermined time and thereafter are stopped, and when the combination of symbols displayed with the reels thus stopped corresponds to any winning combinations, coins or the like equivalent to such a winning combination are paid out. And, such a slot machine is often configured capable of executing a base game and a bonus game that is more advantageous than the base game (e.g., JP-A-2004-049408).
As such a bonus game, for example, the game (so-called free game) is known in which a game similar to the base game is executed without consuming any coins in the player's possession.
Here, as one of the modes of the bonus game, there is the mode in which a plurality of options are displayed on the slot machine, and one option is selected from the displayed options, thereby winning a predetermined number of coins as a bonus.
In addition, the use of the toy figures resembling characters from a TV animated cartoon, a home video game, and the like has recently increased in popularity.
In view of such circumstances, a gaming machine has been developed on which a game is played using a card-like recording medium capable of recording information or a toy figure having a recording medium embedded therein, which attracts a player's attention.
However, in the aforementioned bonus game where an option is selected, the player can participate in the bonus game and thus find fulfillment in winning a bonus. However, a difference is unlikely to occur depending upon the player and the same result is reached no matter who may play. That is, in proceeding with the game of the slot machine, there is the problem in which the bonus game which should be the most exciting part becomes monotonous.
On the other hand, the player has a desire to efficiently win a bonus in such a bonus game.